8. Motivation
A good project leader will be able to motivate their team and keep them focused on the project goals. Staying positive and being able to reward contributions to the project can go a long way in keeping everyone working at their best.
9. Risk Management
Identifying potential risks and developing contingency plans to address them are crucial skills for project managers. Effective risk management can help minimize the impact of potential issues on the project’s timeline, budget, and overall success. A good project leader will be able to assess risks and develop a plan to mitigate them, while also being able to adapt and pivot if necessary.
10. Technical Understanding
While a project manager doesn’t necessarily need to be an expert in the technical aspects of a project, they should have a solid understanding of them. This will help them to more effectively communicate with technical team members, make informed decisions, and identify potential issues before they become major problems.
10. Mentorship
Project managers are on the frontline of a project, communicating with different departments, which gives them a holistic view or the company. They might become really good at reading people and understanding their motivation, which might also put them in scenarios where they are seen as leaders and mentors. Project managers must have the skills to develop their team, which may require providing guidance, feedback and support.
Pro-tip: Check out our tips on How to Implement Strong Mentorship Programs In The Workspace.
11. Empathy
Project managers need to connect with their teams to better understand their needs, weaknesses and strengths. Having empathy — the ability to relate with others intellectually and emotionally. An empathetic PM can better workaround conflict, overcome roadblocks and find the right way to motivate and reward their team. For example, an empathetic PM might be able to resolve a conflict between two team members by understanding their different perspectives and helping them to find common ground. For a project manager to be truly empathetic to another person, they must cultivate the ability to be empathetic with themselves. “Organizations that build empathy as a competency tend to have more effective teamwork, better levels of employee engagement, and the ability to handle conflict in more constructive ways,” according to Jennifer Lawrence, MBA, Managing Director at Process Design Consultants. An empathetic project manager has the ability to inspire others and contribute to an organizational culture where discriminatory and bullying behaviors or micro-aggressions are not admitted. By inspiring a culture of empathy, project managers can help to create a more inclusive and productive workplace.
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